Polysiloxanes have a myriad of uses in daily life, and many substituted polysiloxanes have allowed the list of uses to become even larger. Amino groups attached to the side chains of polysiloxane backbones offer an attractive platform from which subtle chemical changes can be made easily, leading to large changes in the bulk properties of the materials. Simple alterations of amino-substituted polysiloxanes have been exploited to produce new materials. For example, addition of an uncharged triatomic molecule, such as CO2 or CS2, can create ionic centers within the polymer matrixes that have a profound effect on the viscosity, adhesive, and swelling properties of a polysiloxane. Depending on the nature of the triatomic molecule added, the post-addition treatment, the percent of monomers in the polysiloxane with an amino functionality, and the type of amino group, the materials can be transformed from the free-flowing, slippery liquids to strong (reversible) adhesives and very viscous syrups, rubbery materials, or gels, some of which are able to imbibe selectively large amounts of low polarity solvents.
The effects of other simple additives which are capable of creating ion pairs within the polysiloxanes on the polymer properties remain a potential source of cost-effective and useful materials.